Writefag here, can any service members give me some input?

[Anonymous No.12422260]

Hey guys, I'm trying to write a sci-fi novel about a hypothetical war between Earth and Mars. I was hoping to get a little bit of insight about some aspects of military life (I'm a civilian and I don't really know many veterans). What are operations and missions like? After basic training, how do you branch out into other roles? There is obvious inherent stress, but it seems like it can be offset by confidence in one's team and skills.

I'm mostly curious about the nitty gritty I guess. After basic training, what do you do to specialize? Do you just pick stuff and practice with different weapons, or do you have to qualify first?

Also, during operations and missions, how does gear really work? They just give you all the kit you'll need for a year and stick you on a plane with intermittent resupplies? Before you leave camp do you do a gear check? How do watches normally work if there's a mission coming up, do the guys on the mission take it easy before they head out?

Leadership is another good thing to look at. I have heard plenty of cases where the higher levels of leadership can be in conflict with company commanders on the ground, probably due to different levels of information. It seems to be a common theme in Vietnam, but I have heard of it coming up in the middle-eastern theatre lately.

[Anonymous No.12422302]

> hypothetical war between Earth and Mars
that would be a nuclear exchange / EMP war most likely, so why bother with infantrymen and such?

[Anonymous No.12422357]

>>12422302
this, we would use robots, germs and crude memes if mars has something like internet

[Anonymous No.12422412]

>>12422302
well, hypotheticals. at this point in the future, the population of earth (as it grows exponentially with modern medicine and agriculture) has exploded, and the demand for more resources has led to the colony being founded yadda yadda long story short there are megacities on earth now that basically completely cover the globe and regular cities on mars. cities with lotsa people, along with robots doing lots to help out.

just because the governments of earth have access to nuclear weapons doesnt mean that they throw them around willy-nilly because of their massive destructive potential. i guess the best strategy would just be to bomb the planet back to the stone age with as large a volume of nukes as possible. with the internet and modern information access, do you think the public would approve of such a tactic though?

[Anonymous No.12422553]

>>12422260
Mars is flat.

[Anonymous No.12422625]

>>12422412
>as it grows exponentially with modern medicine and agriculture

except countries have demonstrated time and time again that with development comes less people having lots of children, and the population will eventually stop rapidly increasing as countries like china, india, countries in africa etc, develop.

[Anonymous No.12422785]

>>12422260

US Army 11B (infantry) here, was in 1988-1994, served in Panama and Somalia

>After basic training, what do you do to specialize?

After completion of basic training, you're sent on to Advanced Individual Training, which is the school that trains you on your MOS.

>Do you just pick stuff and practice with different weapons, or do you have to qualify first?

We're required to qualify with the M16A2 rifle at minimum although you can also try and qualify on other weapons like the M9 pistol, M203 grenade launcher, and M249 SAW and you get assigned one in depending on your aptitude with them. I was one of the best shots with the M203 so they wound up giving me one.

>They just give you all the kit you'll need for a year and stick you on a plane with intermittent resupplies?

When we go on deployment, we fly in with just our uniforms, helmets, rifles (unloaded), and other very basic accouterments, stuff like special weapons and ammo are flown in separately (because it's explosive and therefore dangerous).

>Before you leave camp do you do a gear check?

Always.

>How do watches normally work if there's a mission coming up, do the guys on the mission take it easy before they head out?

Strongly depends on the circumstances. In Panama, we were running rehearsals right up until H-Hour.

>Leadership is another good thing to look at. I have heard plenty of cases where the higher levels of leadership can be in conflict with company commanders on the ground, probably due to different levels of information.

Oh yeah, it can even happen with guys of the same rank because someone's not where they're supposed to be and it causes confusion. I nearly blew up another platoon because I fired a bunch of 40mm grenades into a building they were about to clear. Had no idea they were even there (smoke from burning buildings made it impossible to see). Showered them with broken glass. Platoon commanders got into a massive pissing contest over it and I got chewed out but not punished (good aim, supremely bad judgement).

[Anonymous No.12422788]

>>12422412
>well, hypotheticals. at this point in the future, the population of earth (as it grows exponentially with modern medicine and agriculture) has exploded

lol no

You should make it about how the Mars colony collapses because no one will have kids.

[Anonymous No.12422823]

>>12422260
>What are operations and missions like?

It depends.

>After basic training, how do you branch out into other roles?

You go to a school specific to your job, which will teach you enough to barely make it as an entry level whatever. The rest you have to learn on the job.

>Do you just pick stuff and practice with different weapons or do you have to qualify first?

You qualify with the common service rifle, and then any other weapon your job requires you to use: pistol, machine gun, tank, missile, whatever.

Qualification is the most basic thing you do with a weapon. Any additional training requires you to qualify first.

>Also, during operations and missions, how does gear really work...

>They just give you all the kit you'll need for a year and stick you on a plane with intermittent resupplies?

Short answer: yes, pretty much.

>Before you leave camp do you do a gear check?

Always.

>How do watches normally work if there's a mission coming up, do the guys on the mission take it easy before they head out?

They should, but sometimes it's not possible.

> I have heard plenty of cases where the higher levels of leadership can be in conflict with company commanders on the ground, probably due to different levels of information

This is always and everywhere the case

[Anonymous No.12422831]

>>12422785
Did you ever poop in a boot?

[Anonymous No.12422966]

>nobody will have kids

india, china and africa have some pretty high populations. even if those places dont do it, natural growth rates among populations are still higher than anything we've ever seen

Thanks for the responses guys! I guess missions and operations must be pretty varied. Search and destruction of enemy assets, hostage taking, Recon Patrols, any others that you could think of?